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In 1789, France was in a financial crisis, had an outdated social system, and an indecisive king. Reformers called for a constitution, limitations on the monarch, and equality. As a result, the peasants and urban poor rioted and eventually the moderates lost control and the king and queen were executed.The Reign of Terror would engulf France in 1793. In 1799, Napoleon Bonaparte asserted control and conquered Europe's major powers, thereby spreading the ideas of the French Revolution across Europe. After Napoleon's rule in 1815, the Congress of Vienna attempted to undo the effects of the French Revolution.

Check out the map below to better understand the trajectory of the French Revolution.

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Quick Facts: Causes of the Revolution

Inequalities in society
Ideas of Enlightenment writer
Poor leadership from Louis XVI
Financial Crisis
Widespread hunger and record cold

Left: The Bread Famine and the Pawnbroker by Le Sueur brothers, 1700s.

It is vital to understand how and why the French Revolution of 1789 happened. Watch the video to find out why.